Levon Aronian of Armenia won the fourth FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Nalchik, Russia, and thereby moves into third place in the overall standings. The Grand Prix series has suffered some major setbacks such as cancelled events, having it's status as a world championship qualfier downgraded , and one of the favourites, Magnus Carlsen, withdrawing. But it is surviving the economic downturn and continuing to produce exciting chess.
In today's game Aronian is playing White against co-leader, Hungary's Peter Leko, in the final round at Nalchik.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nbd7 9. Qe2 b6 10. Rd1 cxd4 11. exd4 Bxc3
Exchanging this bishop for the knight is a common feature of the Nimzo-Indian Defence. Black gets piece activity and pressure against White's hanging pawns, but the White bishops can become a potent attacking force. 12. bxc3 Bb7 13. Bb3 Qc7 14. c4 Rfe8 15. Bb2 Qf4 16. Qe3 Qf5
The queen swap would improve White's pawn structure. White's reply shows great patience: absorbing Black's initiative until the two bishops finally assert themselves. 17. Ne1! b5 18. c5 Nd5 19. Qg3 Nf4 20. Rd2 Nf6 21. f3 N6h5 22. Qf2 Bd5 23. Bc2 Qg5 24. Kh1 Bc4 25. g3! Ng6 26. Ng2 Bd5 27. Ne3 Nf6 28. h4 Qh5 29. Nxd5 Nxd5
By denying the black knights any squares, White has ensured Black's kingside threats have petered out. Despite the central knight outpost on d5 we see how the bishops' superior mobility means White assumes the initiative. 30. Re1 Red8 31. Rde2 Rab8 32. Bc1 h6 33. Kg2 Nc3 34. Re5!! ---
A superb positional sacrifice – forcing a breach in the defensive pawn formation and creating two central passed pawns. 34. --- Nxe5 35. Rxe5 f5 36. Bb3 Nd5 37. Rxe6 Kh8 38. Qe1 Nf6
The knight must abandon d5 or e.g. 38 ... Rbc8? 39 Qe5 Nf6 40 Rxf6! gxf6 41 Qxf6+ Kh7 42 Qe7+ Kh8 43 Bf4 forces mate. 39. Qe5 Re8 40. c6 Rbc8 41. Qxb5 Qg6 42. h5?! ---
Perhaps not to allow the desperate 42 Bf4 Rxe6 43 Bxe6 Nh5!? 44 Bxc8 Nxf4+ 45 Kh2 Nh5 which comes to nothing after 46 Qb8. But White's pawns are unstoppable. 42. --- Qxh5 43. Bf4 a6
Deflecting the queen from b8. 44. Qxa6 Nh7 45. c7 Ng5 46. Rxe8+ Qxe8 47. d5 Ra8 48. Qc4 Kh7 49. d6 Qe1 50. Qf1 Qe8 51. Qd3 Qd7 52. Qc4 Qe8 53. Bxg5 hxg5 54. Qg8+! Resigns
A final flourish: 54 ... Qxg8 55 Bxg8+ Kxg8 56 d7 and White gets a new queen.
Aronian moves into Grand Prix contention
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
Levon Aronian of Armenia won the fourth FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Nalchik, Russia, and thereby moves into third place in the overall standings. The Grand Prix series has suffered some major setbacks such as cancelled events, having it's status as a world championship qualfier downgraded , and one of the favourites, Magnus Carlsen, withdrawing. But it is surviving the economic downturn and continuing to produce exciting chess.
In today's game Aronian is playing White against co-leader, Hungary's Peter Leko, in the final round at Nalchik.
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4
4. e3 O-O
5. Bd3 d5
6. Nf3 c5
7. O-O dxc4
8. Bxc4 Nbd7
9. Qe2 b6
10. Rd1 cxd4
11. exd4 Bxc3
Exchanging this bishop for the knight is a common feature of the Nimzo-Indian Defence. Black gets piece activity and pressure against White's hanging pawns, but the White bishops can become a potent attacking force.
12. bxc3 Bb7
13. Bb3 Qc7
14. c4 Rfe8
15. Bb2 Qf4
16. Qe3 Qf5
The queen swap would improve White's pawn structure. White's reply shows great patience: absorbing Black's initiative until the two bishops finally assert themselves.
17. Ne1! b5
18. c5 Nd5
19. Qg3 Nf4
20. Rd2 Nf6
21. f3 N6h5
22. Qf2 Bd5
23. Bc2 Qg5
24. Kh1 Bc4
25. g3! Ng6
26. Ng2 Bd5
27. Ne3 Nf6
28. h4 Qh5
29. Nxd5 Nxd5
By denying the black knights any squares, White has ensured Black's kingside threats have petered out. Despite the central knight outpost on d5 we see how the bishops' superior mobility means White assumes the initiative.
30. Re1 Red8
31. Rde2 Rab8
32. Bc1 h6
33. Kg2 Nc3
34. Re5!! ---
A superb positional sacrifice – forcing a breach in the defensive pawn formation and creating two central passed pawns.
34. --- Nxe5
35. Rxe5 f5
36. Bb3 Nd5
37. Rxe6 Kh8
38. Qe1 Nf6
The knight must abandon d5 or e.g. 38 ... Rbc8? 39 Qe5 Nf6 40 Rxf6! gxf6 41 Qxf6+ Kh7 42 Qe7+ Kh8 43 Bf4 forces mate.
39. Qe5 Re8
40. c6 Rbc8
41. Qxb5 Qg6
42. h5?! ---
Perhaps not to allow the desperate 42 Bf4 Rxe6 43 Bxe6 Nh5!? 44 Bxc8 Nxf4+ 45 Kh2 Nh5 which comes to nothing after 46 Qb8. But White's pawns are unstoppable.
42. --- Qxh5
43. Bf4 a6
Deflecting the queen from b8.
44. Qxa6 Nh7
45. c7 Ng5
46. Rxe8+ Qxe8
47. d5 Ra8
48. Qc4 Kh7
49. d6 Qe1
50. Qf1 Qe8
51. Qd3 Qd7
52. Qc4 Qe8
53. Bxg5 hxg5
54. Qg8+! Resigns
A final flourish: 54 ... Qxg8 55 Bxg8+ Kxg8 56 d7 and White gets a new queen.
1-0
Solution: 1 Nf6+! Qxf6 2 Ba4+! Nxa4 (2.... Nd7 3 Qxd7#; 2 ... Ke7 3 Qd6#) 3 Qd7#.